Saturday morning Teresa called me to the back door because we have a party in the yard. I was surprised to see a Cardinal party. I was able to catch three of them eating berries. Clearly, I was not set for the right shutter speed to capture the flapping wings of the one male, but they are clearly having a great time.

The funny story here is that I didn’t realize I captured three of them in the picture until I was going back to edit them. I guess I was so focused on the larger male, that I missed the other two.

So be honest, were you able to see the female the 1st time you looked at the picture? The bright red males stand out, but the female colors blend into the vines. Males are colored brightly to attract females (at least that is how science describes it). I think the reality is the females are the ones with the best coloring. Better for protection, and a long life.

I have heard these cardinals in a nearby tree for several weeks, but I was never able to see where they were. I guess I just needed to wait for them to come to us.

~ Rick

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